What had originally been a fight to the death, an endless battle of extermination,
under Su Chen's intervention, was now veering toward a completely absurd turn of events.
Liu Zhengfeng, a mid-stage Minor Grandmaster and Mount Heng's second-in-command; Lu Bai, a late-stage Minor Grandmaster and one of the Thirteen Taibao of Songshan.
These two were both renowned figures in the martial world, yet now they were bickering like common market shrews.
Their faces were red, spittle flew everywhere, and they possessed none of the bearing or composure expected of great masters.
The sight left Yue Buqun, Abbess Dingyi, and the others utterly dumbfounded.
Su Chen, meanwhile, leaned on his Ring-Pommel Saber and watched with great interest from the side, the curve of his lips rising higher and higher.
That was because, as Liu Zhengfeng and Lu Bai outbid each other, the price had now soared to one hundred and fifty thousand silver taels.
That was one hundred and fifty thousand silver taels. Su Chen had never seen so much money in the three years since he had transmigrated.
Thus, watching Liu Zhengfeng and Lu Bai continue their bidding war, Su Chen wisely refrained from interrupting their quarrel.
Instead, he kept cheering them on in his heart.
Su Chen was overjoyed, unaware that Liu Zhengfeng and Lu Bai had both reached a point where they could no longer back down.
Liu Zhengfeng's expression was exceptionally grim.
Though he possessed considerable wealth and had plenty of money on hand, his liquid silver amounted to only around one hundred thousand taels.
Yet he had now bid one hundred and fifty thousand silver taels.
That was practically the limit of what he could borrow against his various shops and estates.
If he kept raising the price, he would truly be bled dry.
The thought filled Liu Zhengfeng with regret.
Had he known things would turn out like this, he would have spent thirty thousand silver taels to hire Su Chen from the start.
But now, the price had increased fivefold, to a full one hundred and fifty thousand taels.
Liu Zhengfeng's heart was bitter, as though he were chewing raw gall.
He finally understood what Su Chen had meant when he said that by then, it would no longer be this price.
But though he understood now, it was already too late.
With the lives of his entire family at stake, he could only keep raising his bid.
Lu Bai, standing opposite him, was equally miserable.
He never would have imagined that Su Chen, whom they had rejected at Tingsong Pavilion, would now become the key to deciding victory or defeat.
Had he known things would turn out this way, he might as well have agreed to Su Chen's terms from the beginning.
For one hundred thousand silver taels, Liu Zhengfeng's entire family could have been dealt with easily.
They would not have needed to bear the infamy of slaughtering fellow martial artists, nor would Fei Bin have been killed and Ding Mian crippled as they were now.
But now, the price had already soared to one hundred and fifty thousand taels, and even then, there was no guarantee they could reach an agreement.
Lu Bai was consumed with regret, but unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret in this world.
Things had come to this, and for the sake of his own life, he could only grit his teeth and persist.
"Two hundred thousand taels." Liu Zhengfeng's voice suddenly rose. "Lord Su, I am willing to offer two hundred thousand silver taels."
"Two hundred thousand taels?" Su Chen's eyes lit up, his pupils seeming to turn into the shape of copper coins.
Then he looked toward Lu Bai, his right hand unconsciously stroking the saber hilt as though he might draw his blade and kill Lu Bai the next instant.
Lu Bai was horrified and hurriedly said, "I also..."
He had wanted to say that he would also offer two hundred thousand taels, but after only two words, Liu Zhengfeng forcefully cut him off.
"Do you even have that much money?"
"When it comes to martial arts, I, Liu Zhengfeng, am indeed no match for your Mount Song Sect. But if we are comparing wealth, your Mount Song Sect is nothing."
"Do you think I do not know how much money Zuo Lengchan has?"
Lu Bai stiffened at those words.
What Liu Zhengfeng said was correct.
In terms of strength, the Mount Song Sect was unquestionably the strongest among the Five Great Sword Sects.
But when it came to the sect's wealth, it was far inferior.
After all, raising so many experts also cost money.
Even though the Mount Song Sect secretly engaged in certain underworld dealings and occasionally robbed wealthy merchants,
they truly had not saved much silver over the years.
At that moment, Liu Zhengfeng spoke again.
"Besides, you are throwing out outrageous bids now, but do you truly intend to pay?"
"Who in the martial world does not know that the Mount Song Sect is overbearing and arrogantly looks down on everyone?"
"Today, one of your Three Great Protectors has died and another has been crippled, and you have suffered utter humiliation. You must already be planning how to retaliate against Lord Su afterward."
"If you are truly allowed to return safely to Mount Song today, what Lord Su will face in the future will not be you coming to deliver silver, but Zuo Lengchan leading people to besiege and kill him."
With every sentence Liu Zhengfeng spoke, Lu Bai's face turned a shade paler.
He had to admit that Liu Zhengfeng's words were precisely what he had been thinking.
The humiliation Su Chen had inflicted upon them today was unprecedented.
His claim that he would pay silver was merely a delaying tactic.
Once he had escaped safely, he would bring men back to besiege and kill Su Chen.
Unfortunately, Liu Zhengfeng had exposed him now. It would be difficult to bluff his way through this.
At that moment, Su Chen, who had waited at the side for quite some time, saw that the bidding had ended and stretched lazily.
Gripping the Ring-Pommel Saber in his hand, he looked at Liu Zhengfeng and said, "Then it is settled at two hundred thousand silver taels."
Without giving Lu Bai a chance to explain, he raised his saber and charged forward.
In truth, Su Chen had never expected Lu Bai to pay any silver from the beginning.
The only reason he had let Lu Bai live a little longer and wasted so much time talking
was to use Lu Bai as a competitor to put pressure on Liu Zhengfeng, allowing him to squeeze more profit out of Liu Zhengfeng.
Judging from the current situation, Liu Zhengfeng had most likely already been squeezed nearly dry.
There would not be much value in continuing to squeeze him.
As a man who had taken elective courses in Western economics, Su Chen understood something about the law of diminishing marginal returns.
Rather than waste time continuing to squeeze Liu Zhengfeng, he might as well finish this job quickly and seek other opportunities to make money.
Thus, Su Chen carried his Ring-Pommel Saber and strode toward Lu Bai.
His aura burst forth and locked onto Lu Bai tightly, leaving him no chance to escape.
Seeing the killing intent on Su Chen's face, Lu Bai was terrified, yet he also knew there was no room for reconciliation today.
He immediately shouted, "I'll fight you to the death!"
With that, Lu Bai held his broadsword and charged at Su Chen.
Sabers and swords clashed with a series of ringing strikes.
Lu Bai was unquestionably being suppressed by Su Chen.
At this moment, the benefit of Su Chen's earlier choice to cripple Ding Mian first became apparent.
If Ding Mian had remained unharmed and retained his fighting strength, he and Lu Bai could have joined forces. Two late-stage Minor Grandmasters working together would have been able to put some pressure on Su Chen.
Now that Ding Mian had been crippled, Lu Bai could not hold on alone and was simply no match for Su Chen.
They had exchanged fewer than fifty moves before signs of Lu Bai's defeat became unmistakable.
"Today, you killed members of my Mount Song Sect. Once my Senior Brother Sect Leader learns of this, he will certainly kill you to avenge us. You will not live much longer either," Lu Bai threatened.
At the same time, he did not forget to leave Liu Zhengfeng with a threat. "Liu Zhengfeng, do not be so pleased with yourself. Though we have been defeated today, once Senior Brother Sect Leader acts personally, your family will likewise be unable to escape death."
"Hahaha, I will be waiting for you down below."
The moment Lu Bai finished speaking, Su Chen brought his saber down in a cleaving strike.
He cut Lu Bai's broadsword in half and beheaded him in the same blow.
Threats?
Threats were what Su Chen feared least.
Yu Canghai had big shots at the Half-step Land Immortal Realm backing him, yet Su Chen had still killed him without hesitation. Why would he care about a mere Zuo Lengchan?
Once he received the two hundred thousand silver taels Liu Zhengfeng had promised and digested the gains, a mere Zuo Lengchan would be nothing to fear.
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